Escapade 2004

Programming

Your Kink, My Squick, My Kink, Your Squick - Gloriana, Barbana, Layna (MPnsg, rape, gender switching - even slash itself - are kinks for some, squicks for others. What defines a kink or a squick anyway, and how can we write to titillate one reaction without triggering the other? How do we deal with our friends writing or reading things that come into conflict with our personal boundaries?)

Amusing Ourselves to Death - Megan Kent (Fannish Discourse in the the Age of the Internet By sheer quantity, has the quality of our conversation declined to predominantly static?)

DS: The Tao of Benton Fraser - Susan (Who is Benton Fraser? What makes him tick? What are Benton Fraser's Rules for Living? What are his strengths, his flaws? What does he need, and how is that reflected in his relationships with the various Rays?)

Organized Pimping (Need a fix? Something hot that you don't get at home? Come and let folks pimp entirely new fandoms to you!)

Plot and slash stories - mistress Ace, Denise Raymond (Do we really want it? If so, how do we write it or encourage others to do so?)

Firefly: (Space) Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other - Kady Mae (Despite TPTB's efforts to set up hetero love interests, the interaction between Jayne, Simon and Mal was slashtacular. What would either man see in Simon and what would Simon see in them?)

I want to vid! (But I don't know how) - Carol S, Luminosity (Introduction to vidding hardware, software and maybe some concepts if we have the time.)

Defending Slash: Threats Foreign & Domestic-Heather, Smaragd Grun, Taya (We've seen lots of discussion about things like copyright law. But maybe a better question is not what's right or wrong from a legal perspective, but what is best or most prudent for slash fandom.)

HL: Who Wants To Live Forever? - Melina, Ashlyn Donnchaid (Is immortality a gift or a curse? Merely a long fight for survival, or an opportunity to play and leam? Frief unending, or a chance to move on and grow? Look at immortality through the eyes of Duncan, Methos, Amanda, Fitz. Connor, Brian Cullen, Gregor Powers and others.)

LiveJournal, Boon or Bane? - Zoe Rayne, mistress Ace (Has the advent of LiveJournal brought about the demise of mailing lists? Has it splintered the venue for discussion to the point where it's impossible to have meaningful conversation? Is the LJ phenomenon just one big egotrip? Come join us to discuss these and other questions.)

TPM: Jedi Don't Cry - Gloriana, Alex, Jennifer/Gail (Jedi Code says 'There is no emotion' but is that really what we want to read? How can we reconcile human behavior, the standards according to Lucas, and hot Jedi-on-Jedi action?)

Made On a Mac: The MacFen Symposium - Schuyler Dade, Dale Edmonds (So you're a slasher and a Mac user. Come and share your tips and tricks for HTML coding, photo editing, website management and vidding on a Mac, Share the programs that have and haven't worked for you and hear some helpful tips from the front lines.)

Heroes, Sidekicks, Antiheroes, & Fannish Inequities - Killa, elynross, Taselby (Why do the Spikes and Archie Kennedys and Methosesees of the world get all the love? Are we drawn to guys with a little tarnish on their shining armor? What's a girl to do when she loves a show's protagonist, and playing in her fandom means listening to her guy constantly get dissed? We'll analyze how character popularity can bnng fans together, yet drive a slash fandom apart.)

HP: Aging or de-aging characters in the HP universe- JiM, KC, Karita Wyr, Smar (What does it take to keep a character in character?)

Vidding: Creating Mood - (Laura Shapiro (Why do rapid cuts of short clips create tension? What does a wipe *feel* iike? A vidder's toolbox Includes more and more options, but how do we know what emotional effect each technical effect will produce? Leave the music at the door; this one's about the visuals.)

The History of Fandom - Katharine Scarritt, Kandy Fong, Megan Kent (See dinosaurs roam the land! Hear tales of the hunt (for good chocolate and long-awarted print zines). join us for a retrospective that's fun for old-timers and invaluable for newer fans who still aren't quite sure what they've tripped over here.)

Technical & Non-Technical Aspects of Running Recs Sites & Archives - EIke Tanzer (Come commiserate and swap advice, from dealing with recs suggestions by authors' friends, and webmasters who want you to get permission before linking to their sites, to choices for self-service archive software and backend hosting service concerns.)

Escapade Party! (Be prepared to entertain yourself and at least five people you may never have met. Free snacks and appetizers, full (no host) bar, so bring a little cash and a lot of imagination! Bar and party open til midnight or as late as we want to play.)

Too Good to Be True: Meaning of Lies in Smallville - Agnes Tomorrow, Tracy Lee, K'Kathy (Clark's every gesture is a lie, yet he is the ideal of goodness. How much do we distrust our own ability to tell good from bad? The Christ symbolism of Superboy was introduced in episode one; are we convinced our saviors are doomed if they reveal themselves to us?)

Editing Techniques and Vidding - Carol S, P.R. Zed (How can you edit together clips from widely different episodes and movies into a seamless whole? A familiarity with concepts in filmmaking can help you achieve the results you're aiming for. A look at some of the common rules of continuity editing and how they relate to vids.)

Slashing the Slashers: a not-so-virtua! circle jerk - Cassandra, Jintian (We're all turning each other on with our words; is there something beyond the keyboard? Can slash itself, with its subtextual origins and the multisexual orientations it makes possible, be read as a metaphor for the relationship between fans?)

Historical: The Age of Sail - shalott, Destina Fortunato (Homblowen Master and Commander, and other assorted seagoing fandoms.Why are these fandoms so damned hard to write, and where are the good stories? A discussion of writing book vs, movie canon, the language and jargon of the sea, plus recs for the Good Stuff.)

Critique Workshop - Gloriana, Lucy, Lori (A guide to looking critically at three short stories in three different fandoms, from a reader's point of view. No prior knowledge of the fandoms required, just a willingness to pick at a piece of fiction and get the best out of it.)

Should subtext become text? - Mazal HaMidbar, Kass Rachel, Sandy Justine (In some fandoms like Smaflville, maybe there's a little homosocial subtext. In other fandoms (Oz? Angel? Xena?), the slash is practically canon. How would it change our fandoms if the sexual tension were actually acknowledged overtly? Can/should subtext become text?)

Mag7: The Multiverse - Charlotte C. Hill, Maygra de Rhema (Where canon is a formulaic retread of a remake of a classic, the critical mass of fan creativity has exploded in fascinating and bizarre ways. Often, richly textured parallel universes seem more attractive than stories based on the original source material. From conflict over "closed" AUs to creative in-breeding, what's really going on in the Mag 7 multiverse?)

The changing face of vids - shalott (How has increasingly cheap technology, wider highspeed access and the new flood of vidders changed vidding? What should we rejoice about and what should we worry about? How do we help make it a winning situation for all?)

When Fans Attack - Stacey Bilotta, Kirstie (What's up with people that take fannish conflict to a serious and frightening level e.g. stalking, harassing, deliberate 'outings.')

STTOS: Kirk/Spock: Slashing Where No One Slashed Before - Killa, Nestra (Is K/S still alive and kicking? Why are K/Sersso isolationist -- or are they? Can this fandom move into the current age of Livejoumal, slash cons and fannish butterflies? This panel will explore the powerful spark that still lives on. and analyze the current state of K/S fandom.)

SG: Stargate--Season 5-7 Does J/D still work? -Crystal Taylor (In seasons I -3 there were little touches in almost every episode that suggested the )/D pairing, sometimes subtle, sometimes scripted. Starting in season 4 or 5, depending on your point of view, there was a definite change in the way the characters interacted. In the little time actually spent together this season, do we continue to see a pairing between Jack and Daniel? This is meant to be a discussion of whether it has gone more subtle and without saying or whether it is just not there anymore.)

Writers & Editors: A Match Made in Heaven or in-? - Joan Martin, Shoshanna (What should a writer look for/expect from an editor? Maybe it's love at first sight Maybe it's not Both can present problems.)

No One Owns A Fandom - Yeah, Right! - Jennifer Holland, Rachael Sabotini (Why are we so possessive of our fandoms, so concerned about the directions and trends, and why do we worry about our fandom's reputation in other fannish circles? And how do certain fans' stories and opinions end up dominating the landscape?

RPS: RPS and Ethics - Zoe Rayne, Molly, Zoe, Dale Edmonds (Is writing Real Person Slash inherently unethical? Is there a line that when crossed. *makes* it unethical? Or is it all good?)

HTML and Website Introduction - Linnea Hartsuyker, Eike Tanzer (if you don't have a website and want to create one. where doyoustart'This will cover creating basic HTML pages and common webhosting options, as well as things to think about as you set iin vour first website.)

Age: Just a Number? Fandom & age of consent - Molly, Melle (There's a lot of dissent about a) fiction with underage characters & b) fans who aren't of age. A discussion of age of consent and how it applies to writers and characters, and associated issues.)

LOTR: Still the Slashiest - P.R. Zed, Heather (Does the eventual marriage of two ma] or male characters diminish the rampant slashworthiness of the LotR movies? Could anything?)

Photoshop 8, techniques and new features - Tina Carter (Suggestions for making LJ icons, web vs. print images, other stuff and an update of the cool new features of Photoshop 8.)

Beyond the Envelope: Pushing the boundaries goes too far? - Melle, Jennifer H., Dale E. (Taboos are increasingly a thing of the past in fandom, but where does it end? For example, if RPS is okay, why does showing rt to the actors featured in it cause an outrage?)

Movies: Fandom at the Movies - Christy (Epic movies have pulled in media fans from early on, but does it happen more often nowadays? Can a movie -- other than exceptional serial works - be the basis for a fandom that lasts long enough to merit the name? What makes a movie good enough to eat instead of popcorn?)

Escapade Songvid Show (Note: overflow will run in the Escapade Lounge (aka Pavilion), with no restrictions of any kind on entering and exiting.)

Escapade: The 20-second elevator question. - Ruth Sadelle Alderson (Think fast! Some non-Escapade hotel guests ask about your badge. What do you say in the 20 seconds you're on the elevator together? In a broader sense, what, who, and how much do you tell about you life in fandom?)

Help! My fandom is tiny! - khaleesian (Care and watering instructions for the obscurer obsessionsTips for inducting more people into your little comer of paradise.)

Best fic I never wrote. - JiM (We all have them. Bunnies all plotted out with notes and everything. But then you never wrote the fic. Why not? What makes you more or less likely ever to revisit that story? If you've given up on it do you share it or just let it linger on your hard drive?)

Dead Dog Party (Consuite. Bring your leftover snackies and that restless fan energy that refuses to say "quit" just yet, and join us for more snacking, laughter, possible surprises, and a chance to recap and wind down together.)

Programming: Transcripts and Notes

tzikeh's panel notes for the "Creating Mood" vidding panel can be found in pdf form here.

Morgan Dawn also posted the following vid review to the Vidder mailing list in 2004 and it is posted here with permission:

"As a fan of vids and vid maker this was my favorite part of the con. This year the show started on time (or close as to make no difference) and the technical aspects went well. Big thanks to Katherine Scarritt, gwyn_r, feochadn, astolat, melina and lapillus. What can I say, I loved the vids. Even for shows or movies I had not seen, most of the videos pulled me in with their storytelling (for a different perspective of the vid show go to kassrachel's con report)[14] I won't have a chance to talk about many of the vids, but here is a random sample of vids that stood out.

"Whatever" by sockkpuppett & sisabet. Fandom: Angel. Mood: fucking hilarious. No seriously, she selected visually comic images, paired them up with a comic song, and kept it crisp and funny.

"Come Together" by laurashapiro. Fandom: Farscape. When Laura told me she was making a Crichton /Scorpius vid I thought: okaaay, yeah, whatever uuum, rocks your boat. Cause the idea of actually "slashing" the two is - well yech. And then Laura's vid opened up Crichton's mind and gave us what is really must feel like to have your worst enemy living inside your ahead and pursuing you across the galaxy: painful, twisted, and disturbingly intimate. I'll say a lot later about editing choices (like when I have the vid in front of me). But I came away with a very claustrophobic and helpless feeling.

"One of God's Better People" by przed. Fandom: LOTR. Przed and I chatted about this vid before we got to Escapade. To quote Melina, when I think of LOTR I think epic music. And modern music has to work hard to create that epic feeling in me. So that made it almost impossible for me to overcome the song choice. But I found myself moved at the second half of the vid, when the focus narrows to the Faramir and Boromir relationship - always looking at the other brother, wondering why you feel inadequate. This made the POV shift at the very end very poignant.

"Freakout" by Rob1. Fandom: Smallville. Disco music worked well with the wacky special effects. The vidder took the "freakiness" of Smallville along with their cheesy effect and turned the show into one sequined disco ball. I think that the vid would have been stronger with a few less special effects (they sometimes worked against the shows own internal effects).

"Without You I'm Nothing" by sisabet. Fandom: Smallville. Another vid I had seen online before the con, but really worked well on the bigger screen. Sisabet also uses special effects but these seemed to support the relentlessly building story that without Clark, Lex is doomed to become his father. The repeated images of his father hugging him, then abusing him, seeing Lex turn that rage outward, made the final shots of Lex embracing Clark, while cutting back to the "blood rain" images of future destruction , so much more painful. Lex's future seemed inevitable. Does Lex still have the ability to overcome his past or has too much happened for him to turn back? This is what the vid seemed to be asking.

"Too Bad" by gwyn_r. Fandom: Keen Eddie. I had the chance to see this vid before the con. I was bopping along thinking, OK this is funny and light and sweet and - oops, what the hell am I doing. I am laughing? How did that happen? I had only seen a few episodes of Keen Eddie, but I think gwyn made a very accessible and affectionate vid.

"It's Probably Me" by klia and thevetia. Fandom: LA Confidential. I had heard good things about the vid before the show. The song is to me the ultimate buddy song. It had a tricky pov (the song starts off with the singer saying: "You" [equals] the viewer thinks the POV is the character being shown (Exley) until after the first stanza the lyrics pull back . When you hear the "I" [equals] you realize it is the other character (Bud) singing about his relationship with Exley. They edited this well and kept the POV firm thereafter. The video was very stylish. Like several people, I had a hard time with the opening shots - they were simulated "flash bulbs" going into in a very tight series of edits, slowly interspersing with more visible clips. Dorinda raised an excellent point about this effect during the vid review panel: not all effects or vids are meant to be "enjoyable." Sometimes you are meant to be disturbed and put off. (see Laura's Farscape vid).

"We'll Meet Again" by lapillus. Fandom: Stargate. I told lapillus before the con that the vid was too long and that the punchline came too late. In the context of the heightened hyper-awareness of the vid show, it felt less long (but still I wanted the punch line earlier). But when it came, the final clip was hilarious. To me, this vid is Teal'cs late night movie nightmare. Perhaps this will be last time he stays up late at Stargate Command, watching those 50s horror movies. (This vid was also one my partner's favorites - both for the selection of exaggerated facial expressions and the grainy movie
effect).

"Prophecy" by sockkpuppett. Fandom: Angel. Most of Lum's work requires that you let go of your intellect and absorb the movement and colors and meanings. This vid required a good knowledge of the show - and having that knowledge make this, for me, the perfect Angel video (thematically). I had seen the vid several times online, and had looked up the lyrics, so I was not hampered by the lack of understanding. What worked for me: the pacing of the vid and the repeating/juxtaposing images. The lines "Look into the sun and see your soul is dying/ Used to feel the faith, but now you're tired of trying/ Should have left alone what you have stolen from everyone": we see Angel literally rejoicing in the fact that he can stand in the sun at Wolfram & Hart. The second time, Lum focuses on Angel's first glimpse of his son. And the last repeat is when Angel realizes that his son has moved emotionally beyond his reach. Counter balance that against the dual prophecies: one that Angel dreams of: that he may one day redeem himself and become human. And the second that he fears: that he will one day kill his son.

"Wipeout" by sherrold, wickedwords, and gattagria. Fandoms: Stargate/Farscape. A scene by scene comparison between Farscape and Stargate. You want a zap effect, well we have a zap effect. You want running down a narrow triangular corridor, hey Moya can deliver that too. I never noticed how many Farscape people are stand-ins for SG1. Or is that the other way around? And who knew that Teal'c and D' Argo have the